Justice advocates call for sheriff review panel

A coalition of advocates for a variety of causes wants the county to form a citizens review board overseeing the sheriff's office, but few officials give the proposal much of a chance.

Urging creation of a "citizens review and advisory council" to monitor activities of Sheriff Robert Doyle's department were the county Human Rights Commission, Marin Peace and Justice Coalition, Occupy Marin, the Concerned Citizens of Marin City and the Marin chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California.

A series of speakers, among them longtime local political activist Alan Barnett, representing the peace and justice coalition and Occupy Marin, pitched the idea to county supervisors during "open time" at the board's Tuesday meeting.

Supervisors remained mum, but the board's most liberal member, Susan Adams, said later that she saw no reason that the county Human Rights Commission couldn't provide such oversight.

Sheriff Doyle said the plan was unnecessary because there is no problem. "The issue is greatly exaggerated by people who are less than objective," he said of law enforcement critics. The sheriff's office, he added, has received a total of 47 citizen complaints over the past five years — including 15 from Marin City residents.

"All police agencies must be accountable to the citizens and their representatives," the coalition asserted in a press release, saying state law allows creation of police review panels. "This has been a matter long challenged by Marin's sheriff, Robert Doyle, who has asserted that his authority is only subject to citizens' review at election time every four years. He claims that because he is independently elected he is not subject to review by the public's representatives, the supervisors, except for budget."

The coalition cited a number of concerns that such an advisory review panel could weigh in on, including complaints by Marin City residents who claim "abuse and harassment" by sheriff's deputies; "disproportionate arrests and jailing of African Americans by sheriff's deputies, 12 times their ratio in Marin's population," and a $1.9 million settlement of a Woodacre man's lawsuit following a taser gun incident.

The group also renewed complaints about "mutual aid" response by Marin law officers who helped Oakland authorities quell "Occupy" demonstrators two years ago.

Further, the sheriff turns in the names of the undocumented inmates of the county jail to federal immigration officials "when he is not obligated to by law," the group said.